Dairy Industry in Austria
Austria is renowned for its high-quality dairy products, playing a crucial role in the national economy. The country has leveraged its natural resources and advanced farming techniques to sustain a robust dairy sector.
Milk Production
Austria produces approximately 3.8 billion liters of milk annually. The country's favorable climate and rich pastures contribute to this substantial output.
Dairy Cattle
Austria is home to about 540,000 dairy cows. These cows are primarily raised on family-owned farms, ensuring high standards of animal welfare and milk quality.
Milk Processing
The volume of milk processed annually in Austria is around 3.5 billion liters. The country has a well-developed processing infrastructure that supports a wide range of dairy products.
Cheese Production
Austria produces approximately 200,000 tons of cheese every year. Austrian cheeses, such as Bergkäse and Emmental, are popular both domestically and internationally.
Milk Powder and Whey Production
Milk powder production in Austria amounts to about 50,000 tons annually. Additionally, the country produces around 20,000 tons of whey each year.
Key Enterprises
- Berglandmilch
- NÖM AG
- SalzburgMilch
- Ennstal Milch
- Kärntnermilch
Major Dairy Farms
- Biohof Achleitner
- Pell-Menghof
- Bauernhof Maurer
- GailtalBauer
- Reitbauerhof
Export of Dairy Products
Austria exports around €1.4 billion worth of dairy products each year. Key export markets include Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands.
Import of Dairy Products
The country imports dairy products worth approximately €800 million annually, mainly from other EU countries.
Recent Developments
In a significant development, Lactalis, one of the world's largest dairy producers, has announced its plan to acquire BMI dairy assets, thereby expanding its presence in Southern Germany. This acquisition is expected to have a ripple effect on the Austrian dairy market, given the geographical proximity and cross-border trade relations.
Membership in the European Milk Forum extends across nine European countries, including Austria, promoting dairy industry development. Additionally, Berglandmilch pioneers SIG’s alu-layer-free full barrier aseptic carton in Austria, becoming the first to choose SIG Terra Alu-free + Full barrier, the world’s first full barrier aseptic carton packaging material with no aluminum layer.
Cargill Animal Nutrition & Health has completed an expansion of its Engerwitzdorf facility in Austria. The facility increased production capacity by 50% to 30,000 metric tons annually, supporting the growing demand for micronutrition solutions.
Burger King Austria recently made headlines by becoming the first to introduce Oatly's new Baristamatic oat milk in all its locations, completely replacing cow's milk for several days.
Austria continues to be a hub for innovation in the dairy industry, with SalzburgMilch taking a pioneering role as the first company in Europe to adopt the unique packaging solution SIG DomeMini.
Tvarit's AI technology is becoming a growing trend in Austria, highlighting its potential for enhancing efficiency in dairy production processes.
One of the countries with national delegations at swop 2025, Austria will have a presence at the event through national delegations and exhibitors.
Home to major dairy groups SalzburgMilch and Pinzgau Milch, Austria is the location of the merging dairy groups SalzburgMilch and Pinzgau Milch, known for significant dairy production and exports.
Modified: 2025/11/28